We feature pain-free and sedation dentistry to make your patient experience comfortable and relaxed. Even if you have had difficulty getting and staying numb or you have some catching up to do when it comes to your dentistry, we can help you achieve and maintain excellent oral health. We look forward to welcoming your entire family to our Saint Paul, MN dental office.

Dr. O'Neill

With over thirty years of experience, Dr. O'Neill offers high-quality, reliable results to our patients seeking general, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. Our entire team is committed to providing you with an outstanding experience consistently.

"Dr. O'Neill is a perfectionist! He knows the latest techniques and has the most updated equipment. He is very thorough in his assessments and is knowledgeable. I highly recommend him. Great, friendly staff. Very professional." - Mary Dunnavan

How Alcohol, Caffeine, Tobacco, and Drug Use Relate to Sleep Bruxism

Symptoms of Bruxism

If you suffer from clenching and grinding during the night, a condition known as sleep bruxism, then you know that the symptoms associated with this habit can negatively impact your day-to-day life.

Some of the problems you can encounter include headaches, tooth sensitivity, jaw pain, fractured teeth, ringing in the ears, worn teeth.

You may notice that clenching and grinding can come and go depending on the day. Sometimes you may wake up with dramatic pain associated with bruxism, and other days, you may feel well rested.

The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) featured a study that tested the impact of certain lifestyle habits and their influence on sleep bruxism. This study showed an increase in sleep bruxism with the use of alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. Drug abuse is also suspected to increase the severity of a teeth grinding habit. You can view a summary of the article here.

Managing Bruxism

If you reduce the use of alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, you may find that the severity of your condition decreases. It is important to note that bruxism can develop because of a number of reasons, which are not limited to lifestyle habits. These include amisaligned bite, stress, jaw disorders, teeth that do not come together correctly and certain medications

If you suffer from bruxism and would like to find a dentist in the St. Paul area to help you manage your condition, please give our office a call. Dr. Terry O’Neill is experienced in both the treatment of bruxism and TMJ, a jaw disorder that can develop due to clenching and grinding.

At Highgrove Dental Care, we help patients enjoy comfortable smiles by reducing or eliminating the symptoms associated with sleep bruxism. At your evaluation, we will look for some of the visible signs that you may have a nighttime clenching and grinding habit, including:

Bite marks inside your cheeks

Wear along the chewing surfaces of your teeth

Gum recession

Bony growths under your tongue

Abfractions (small enamel fractures near the gumline)

If this sounds like you, contact our St. Paul dental office to schedule an evaluation. Dr. O’Neill will go over ways that you can manage your condition and provide treatment options to protect your teeth and provide relief.